What is the supernatural connection responsible for the triumphs of Mahomes and Kelce? Friends and enemies explain it – Marca English
The cold numbers say that Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are the fourth-best quarterback and tight end duo of all time. Their connection seems almost supernatural and has led the Kansas City Chiefs to win the LIV and LVII editions of the Super Bowl.
Mahomes and Kelce have contributed 550 completions and 6,895 yards for the Chiefs, and the 50 touchdowns they have achieved are the fourth-best mark for a QB-TE duo.
They are only behind the 90 touchdowns achieved by Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, the 89 by Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates, and the 51 by Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham.
The numbers are compelling, however, what is not so clear is how they got there. The answer is not simple, but Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy is very clear: both are “on another level.”
Speaking to ESPN, Nagy explained, “You’re talking about two guys that have the instincts that not many people have.” He detailed that Kelce has an innate ability to recognize defenses, but “What’s crazier is the fact that Pat knows it, too.”
Mahomes and Kelce balance improvisation and discipline
According to Nagy, some of the successful duo’s best plays have been the result of improvisation: “Sometimes we don’t even practice it. They just do it.”
However, he does not have a definitive explanation for this either. “There’s some stuff in there, DNA-wise, between those two guys that a lot of people don’t have. They have that connection,” he declared.
However, Travis Kelce is clear that he doesn’t always go off the script planned by head coach Andy Reid. “All that creative stuff is fun. But for the most part, I would say about 99% of the time, I’m doing what Coach wants me to do,” said the tight end.
Mahomes, for his part, attributes everything to hard work: “It just took a couple of years of just working with him,” he explained. In that time, they both learned to see the field from each other’s perspective. “Not only did I get a feel for how he runs routes, but he got a feel for how I was seeing stuff,” the quarterback added.
Patrick and Travis have earned the respect of their rivals
The admiration for both players has transcended the locker room and the Chiefs fandom, their rivals also recognize the talent of the stellar Kansas City duo.
“I think the thing that is tough is just the chemistry that he (Travis) and Patrick have,” admitted Los Angeles Chargers head coach Brandon Staley.
The coach has faced Mahomes and Kelce five times since he took over the “Bolts” and did not spare his praise for the tight end: “He does everything at such a premium level,” he said.
“He just has an outstanding feel of how to attack and beat leverage. When you have that type of feel in the passing game, he can get open when the play isn’t necessarily designed to go that way,”Staley analyzed.
Only the future will tell if we are at the beginning of a new NFL dynasty.
